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Chapter Text

“Hermione!” Someone behind the golden group said loudly. They could see him trying to walk around the attendees of Bill and Fleur’s wedding to get to her.

"Is that… Krum?," Ron asked Harry and Hermione with a frown between his eyebrows.

Her eyes followed her name, Viktor. He looked the same, although not… his dark hair was short as the last time she saw him on the papers; his dark eyes had the hint of his brightness at every sight of her; his tanned body, its thickness and athletic form of his body was different. His smile was the same, a side smile that made Hermione melt in the spot. His jaw is more masculine, now that the age has settled better on his body.

Her breathing increased as he got closer to her, she felt the palpitations of her heart falter. Her cheeks redden, it’s him.

“Viktor!" Hermione exclaimed, biting her lower lip, and ignoring Ron’s attempt to make her ignore Viktor. Her heart was missing several beats, her steps would have faltered if he was farther, but there he was, right here, in front of her. 

Hermione hugged him as soon as she reached him, crossing her hands behind his neck. His arms embrace her waist, holding her tight, breathing her scent out of her hair and neck as she tightens her hold on him. 

The way he had always wanted, but never had done. First, she was too young, he was too old. Then, she was too far, even with their letters.

"How are you doing?”

"I can't believe you are here!”

Both talk over each other. Laughing at it.

"You look beautiful,” Viktor said, as his eyes took her face in, noticing the small changes that age does. Her hair was longer and without its usual beautiful frizz, her eyebrows were smaller, her eyes carried the same light that made him breathe harder.

"You look handsome." Hermione made him chuckle at the comment. Her eyes look between his eyes, and lips. 

“I can't believe you are here, I'm so happy to see you." Hermione said, as Ron happened to bump into him.

“Oh hi! Hermione, we need to talk, sorry mate but we were busy. I'll take it from here." Ron said to Viktor with a confident voice, grabbing Hermione’s waist.

"Would you save a dance for me later?” Viktor asks Hermione with his wicked smile.

“Always," she answered with the biggest smile she had since erasing her parents' memory. Biting her lower lip as she walked behind Ron.

Chapter Text

"Hello, I’m happy to see you are not busy anymore… Can I have my dance now?” Hermione asked Viktor, once he was finally without fans fanning all around him. The smirk on her face was what made him blush.

“All of them." He answered, lifting his hand to take hers.

As the night grew darker, illuminated by the magic lights. They laugh, and talk a lot; their touches always linger for longer anytime they have been together. His hand kept circling the back of her hand, while hers rested on his shoulder, going down to his arm and back up.

Their conversation was effortless, contagious, it brought more and more subjects from their letters, forms, adventures, politics to intellectuals. Their time together evoke awakenings she didn't expect, not at this point of the about to break war. Hermione’s face hurt from the happiness she felt at having Viktor this close, this type of closeness. She felt loved, and felt her love trying to reach him back.

While the groom is giving a speech to the bride, distracting all the guests, Hermione with a smile on her lips, looks up to find his eyes in hers. Catching the suppressed emotions of years building up to this moment.

She knew he kept his distance, he never flirted nor tried anything. He always treats her as a friend, never anything else. But there was always the crush she had for him. She knew he found her attractive but has never said anything else, nothing more. Their letters through the years grew in subjects to talk about, it increased her fascination with him. He wasn't just handsome, and good at playing Quidditch, but he was smart, funny, and an avid reader. He fed her want in knowledge, he asked for her opinion in subjects that not many did, and gave his own when she found herself in a dilemma.

He was a lot of what she was, he was all of that and more.

“Come on, let's go for a walk." She said as she pulled him from his hand, walking outside the big wedding tent, leaving all the guests focused on the funny and probably lovely speech coming from the broom.

They continued the walk to the far east end, the side with the tents for the guests. Hermione stops once they get too close to them, turns to look at him straight. 

She knew this wasn't her, she has never been this raw, this bold. But having him next to her was getting too much, and it was not enough, and with this war… she needed this.

"Are you going to kiss me, or do we have to wait another year for you to try to do so?” She smiled with nervousness and hoped that he wants the same as she does.

His lovely smile broke whatever hesitation she might have felt about asking so bluntly.

Closing the distance between them, he grabs her neck, bending down kissing her lips with a soft touch that makes her skin burn. The kiss grew slow. So many feelings, too many, and the two hearts burning for each other. 

The grip he has on her waist tightens at the feeling of her increased need of his touch. The gasp she let out, helps his tongue find hers.

This was her first kiss, her first real kiss. The others were shy, emotionless, without this burning sensation that this encounter built throughout the night.

Her moans made him hold her tighter, her core pulsated with the need of touch, she moved one leg to be around his own, she needed more contact. His hands still discovering her upper curves, his thumb finding her hardened nipple through her dress. 

Breaking the kiss she look up to him,

“Do you. I want to… I want to be with you…” her eyes dropped to his lips, “closer. Tonight.” She said as his face turned redder than from the kiss.

“Are you sure? I don't want to do anything if you are going to regret it tomorrow, or in a year. I don't want to ruin anything that could be… us." Viktor wanted this, but he wanted her more. More than tonight, more than just now. He wanted a forever with her.

"What is happening in the world is a war, and we don't know the final result. And we won't know how long it will last, which side will win, which one of us will survive. And, And I want you to, can you be with me tonight? Before we jump into the war, and become soldiers?” Hermione said with prayer in her eyes.

Viktor knew this was true, his family was high enough to know what the ministry was fighting.  He knew what was coming.

He bent down and kissed her.

Chapter Text

Her laugh filled his tent, her laugh mixed with her moans made him hard… again. 

"Where is Hermione?” Ron asked Harry, who is dancing with Ginny.

"I don't know, look for Krum and you might find her,” Harry said, pissed at the interruption.

Harry knows where Hermione left to, he saw them walking towards east. But he won't tell Ron that, he would never ruin Hermione's chance to feel normal.

Tonight could be the last time for any of us to feel normal.

“Dance with Luna, she looks like she would like to have someone to dance with…” Ginny nodded to where Luna was sitting, her feet tapping the floor, imitating the movements of the dancers.

One arm under her neck, the other over her stomach, with his hand caressing her breast. His face was holding tight to her neck, taking in all of her, her shampoo, her sweat, her essence. Taking her in.

He knew she had never done any of this, he knew that, that's why he thought it could be more special to her than for him. 

He couldn’t be more wrong.

Her body was molded to attach to his seamlessly, her lips were made for his own. Her sounds… Merlin, her sounds were for him, and only him.

He used to have a crazy crush on her, but today he fell in love with Hermione. She becomes what he wanted in his future, the woman at his side, the woman in his future, the mother of his children, he would be privileged if she chooses to keep him around while she conquers the world.

He will treat her like the everything she is, he will be the proud husband standing back to not interrupt her shining lights.

“The Ministry has fallen… are coming!” The muffled voice interrupted their awakened dreams.

"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming.”

They both sat up at the same time, she covered herself with the sheet, and he moved to put clothes on…

“Fuck, I need to find Ron and Harry… now.”

“I can come with you three, I can help you with whatever you need. I can…” what he left out was to protect you, I can protect you. But he knows she won't take his offer.

“I know, but the lesser the better," she answered, putting her dress and clothes on quicker… magically making a ponytail for her hair.

Finishing both at the same time they move to the exit access of the tent.

She looks back and kisses him, 

"I'm going to miss you.” Kissing him again.

Viktor kisses her back, and they start running.

Several guests were apparating away, others were fighting, or running to safety.

The last thing Viktor remembers of that night is waiting for her to catch up with Ron and Harry, and apparated away, her eyes fixed on his while the Golden trio disappears in the spot.

Chapter Text

The war was over, people moved on. Others got stuck, or terrified of what if the war hadn't ended the way it did.

Hermione was one of the few who remain erratically in between all of them.

It was four years after the war already, the good side won. The bad side went to Azkaban, jail, reformed, or whatever… The ministry was still recovering, but getting stronger, their economy started to grow, faster than predicted but everyone was still cautious.

Still many legal injustices against all magical beings kept happening everyday. That made Hermione decide to study law school.

Wizarding law school wasn't as hard or demanding for a student, it was easy and fast, just expensive. 

After finishing school, Hermione learned the hard way how politics play too. She almost lost all her first cases, but having her mentor next to her was what saved the magical kind she was defending each time.

This year, the day after the fourth year commemorating the final battle, after almost two years of practicing law, Hermione opened up a small pro-bono law firm. 

Her investors were her friends, and the wizarding community group who believed in her. There was a lot on the stake, not just the lives of magical beings being maimed, but the people who believed in her and invested in her.

Granger's Law Firm. It was a simple name that was attached to her legacy as a close fighter against Voldemort, and it was hers. The smile on her face every time she sees the sign is magnificent, usually her heart skips a beat or two.

The Firm takes cases from every magical or non-magical being fighting some form of oppression, or seeking justice. The payments from her clients come in different shapes, some come in the shape of produce (yes, she was running a full pro bono firm, so many of her clients had nothing).

Once in a while those without anything, returned again when their lives were more stable and gave to her office a donation as retribution for her help.

Those donations kept her firm at float, able to help more and more beings to find their freedom, or justice.

As she invested everything in her firm, Ginny and Harry give her asylum at Grimauld Place.

Harry insisted in creating a side door that only had access to her part of a house, which eventually was transformed to a townhouse attached to the main residence.

It was small and narrow, but it had everything she needed. Same as her office.

Her office was a small, shared space. In Diagon Alley there was a building that focused on imposing new businesses who lack office space.